Legend tells that before the Sundering, the destrachor had been a savage subterranean creature with long, sharp claws, no eyes or feathers, and a voice that could shatter castle walls. Wizards, through arts now lost, dominated these fierce creatures, changed them into their current form, and domesticated them. Now the destrachor is a docile creature capable of affection towards its master.
An adult stands near twelve feet tall. It has two powerful legs and is capable of carrying even an ogre as a rider. Bird-like claws extend from both the larger legs and the much smaller arms. The hands are capable of rough manipulation and can carry many different objects including lighter humanoids such as elfs and paidion. Tiny feathers cover their entire bodies like a fine fur. When shed, destrachor feathers are sought after for the finest of mattresses and pillows as the calamus is too small to poke the skin. Unlike the mythological creature of their origin, the destrachor have eyes, though they are too weak to function as a main sensory organ for navigation. Instead, the destrachor uses a combination of incredibly complex vocal chords, powerful lungs, and exceedingly sensitive three-part ears to navigate, communicate, and discern the very nature of their surroundings. The animal is said to know more about its surroundings through hearing than most creatures do through sight. It has been proven that a destrachor is able to communicate via sound to another healthy destrachor at the opposite end of Pulon Island. Aeromancers have forged quite a bond with these creatures largely due to the animals’ dependence on sonics. Some have even trained these beasts to communicate verbally in a limited fashion. Others, such as Lord Malichorum, believe their time more valuable than to waste it on dumb animals.